


End of Line

by Dracones95



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Bi-Curiosity, Drug Addiction, Drug Dealing, Dysfunctional Family, Emotional Manipulation, F/M, M/M, Neglect, Past Child Abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-28
Updated: 2018-01-14
Packaged: 2018-05-03 19:28:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5303846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dracones95/pseuds/Dracones95
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An influenceable young man is thrown off the track by a toxic relationship with one of his colleagues.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Tram 14 came to a stop with a loud screech, the large double doors opening wide; "We have to get off here, this is the last station." Ash heard the stub of a conversation behind him as he stepped off the tram onto the pavement, shielding his face from a breeze that ruffled the hair sticking out from under his red baseball cap. A group of two girls and three boys, most likely freshmen just like himself, ran past him, their bags hanging from their arms and dangling dangerously at every rushed step. The fuss had taken over the entire neighbourhood, almost; he noticed a lady watching the crowd gathered in front of the university from her fifth floor balcony.

"Ash!" He heard his name being called by a feminine, familiar voice. He grinned at the redhead as she approached him, pushing people out of her way, apologizing at the same time; Misty was one of those people he was always more than glad to see, one of the most pleasant companies he could ever have. "Almost didn't see you here." She half yelled, grinning back at him with the same intensity. She threw the red jacket in her hand back on her shoulders, while Ash continued to smile dumbly at her. The excitement of starting his first year in college was clearing getting to him.

"Yeah, smile with you still can." Misty laughed, picking up on what he was thinking about. "The first exam session will wipe that off your face." Ash waved his hand in dismissal; far too early to think about exams now. He studied the crowd around them carefully; all sorts of unknown faces, some of them chatting with old friends or acquaintances, others sitting alone, looking around or into their phones. Diversity. People from all over the country. Loads of people to meet, make friends with. 

"Have you seen May?" Misty craned her neck, trying to see over the heads of two tall boys; Ash shrugged, idly looking at the silver pendant hanging from her neck. Misty has changed so much since he first met her, when he had accidentally broken her bike and she had falcon punched him into next week. He didn't doubt that punch hurt any less now, though she was starting to look more like someone he would fancy. He never really dwelled on that, however, despite more than enough hints from her and a few nights of tossing and turning in bed on his side. The risk of ruining such a friendship was too big for him to misinterpret some signs. 

"Oh, I think I just saw her." Before Ash could say anything, the redhead disappeared in the crowd, heading towards a brunette in a green skirt, talking on her phone.

"Wait, Misty!" Ash shouted, trying his best to follow and not be left behind; he successfully dodged some girls, before slamming into a body which swore under his breath, staggering on his feet. "Oh, sorry!" He quickly regained his balance, his vision invaded by shockingly purple hair and an icy glare. Something told him his apology was far from being accepted. "Watch where you're going, moron!" The other snapped at him before disappearing, leaving Ash dumbfounded.

"Sheesh.." What the hell was his problem? It's not like he intended to bump into him. He shook his head and went to join the two girls; May waved at him, still on the phone, most likely with her boyfriend, Drew. Ash had met both her and Drew through Misty, and it felt as if they were her friends more than they were his, but he still enjoyed hanging out with them.

"Here comes our guide." Ash looked up to see Brock heading their way; Brock was two years older and knew his way around the campus. They were all relying on him to show them around and help them until they settled in.

"Why are you still standing here?" Brock greeted them, lightly punching Ash's shoulder; Brock was like an older brother for him, always there to help him no matter what kind of mess he got himself into. Brock was probably the main reason why he survived high school in the first place; it would take Ash more than a lifetime to pay Brock back for everything he has done for him.

"Let's go inside."

* * *

 

The lecture hall was already almost full when he, Misty and May walked inside; the girls managed to find two seats next to each other, leaving Ash with only one empty seat, in front of them. One right next to the same guy he ran into outside; he recognized him by the purple mane and the posture that basically told everyone around him to just leave him alone. Great.

He sat next to him carefully, trying to make as little noise as he could. Kind of useless, since the conversations around them were rather loud; he could hear May complaining about Drew to Misty behind him. He could imagine the readhead mentally rolling her eyes; she was never one for gossip and drama, but May was her friend and it was her duty to listen to her. No matter how boring and dull her relationship with Drew was.

Ash glanced at his colleague; he was scrolling through his phone, the luminosity set so low that Ash couldn't see what he was looking at. Whoever was supposed to come and talk about the university and what they were getting themselves into was late; Ash studied a stick man with crooked teeth and huge glasses, labeled "Robert", drawn in pencil on the wooden desk. He saw the other straighten his back out of the corner of his eye. Perhaps he should try to talk to him, at least make sure he wasn't still upset about earlier, even though he had no reason to be upset in the first place. Clearly this guy didn't know the meaning of the word 'accident'.

"Hey!" He turned towards him, but he got nothing in reply; the other ignored him completely, eyes still glued to the screen of his phone.

"I'm Ash, what's your name?" He tried again, wanting to believe that the other just didn't hear him, instead of deciding to be an even bigger asshole. He saw his hand tightening the grip on the cellphone, in an annoyed gesture. A lost cause, Ash realized.

"Paul." He almost missed him grunting his name, his sharp features twisted in a frown; he still didn't look at him. Not encouraging Ash at all. His sickly pale skin contrasted strongly with the black plastic of his phone, and his face had protruding cheekbones. He wasn't bad to look at, just needed to work on his attitude. A lot.

"I'm from Pallet Town." He continued, trying to at least get him to look at him, acknowledge him some more; Ash hated being ignored. He felt as if he had something to say, like he could be friends with anybody. Like he could be a part of anybody's life. "Where are you from?" 

Finally, the other looked up from his phone; his dark eyes glared at Ash's face, lips pursed in annoyance.

"None of your business." He snapped, scowling at Ash. "Stop it with the questioning." 

A professor walked into the room and Ash swallowed his retort. 'What an asshole..' 

* * *

 

_"So how was your first day?"_ Delia's voice on the phone questioned him, as he was stirring some eggs in the frying pan, in the kitchen of the small rented apartment.

"It was nice, I guess." He answered, trying not to spill any of the contents on the floor. "Brock helped me with the documents, Misty and May are the same group as me. I'm good." He mouthed a few profanities as pieces of egg glued to the bottom of the pan, and flew across the room when he tried to scrape them off. 

_"Anyone new?"_ The purple haired boy crossed his mind; what was wrong with him? How exactly did he think he was going to make it through college if he acted like a jerk to everybody; did he really believe he won't need any help? 

"Not yet, I didn't really have the time to talk to others." 

_"I see. Well, I'll let you eat. Don't forget to give me a call from time to time, ok? I love you."_

Ash stared in disbelief at the pieces of carbonized eggs. 

"I miss you already." He laughed. "I love you too. Bye!" 


	2. Chapter 2

Ash tried in vain to stifle the huge yawn that made his jaw groan in protest; 6 am was six hours too early. He crawled to the bathroom, the cold water that he sprayed his face with refreshing him enough to help him find his way to the tram station across the boulevard. The articulated train was slightly swinging sideways with every corner, deepening his state of sleepiness. Great. Only the second day and he was already tired.

The girls were waiting for him outside the main entrance.

"Finally, you show up," Misty scolded him playfully, as another yawn that threatened to split in his face in two rendered him immobile for a few moments. He followed the two inside, only half listening to their chatter. October cold winds seeped through his too thin jacket, so the warmth of the lecture room was more than welcome; around him, quiet, civilised conversations. A pleasant change from all the yelling and messing around in general from highschool. The door swung open and Ash almost rolled his eyes as his new friend from yesterday walked inside, head down and not greeting anybody. He went past him and sat down two rows behind, throwing his bag on the desk and yanking his jacket off like he had a personal vendetta with it; Ash watched him from the corner of his eye, careful not to let the other notice him. He seemed enough of an asshole to actually make a fuss or even come to punch him in the face for even looking in his direction. 

He sighed; he hoped that once he got to college he will be surrounded by some mature and responsible people. The rest of the group was alright, he couldn't complain about it, but that guy was a lost cause.

"How you holding up?" Brock asked him as he sat next to him in the cantina, two hours later, waving goodbye to some of his own colleagues.

"Fh-ine." Ash answered through a mouthful of mashed potatoes, making May scowl at him and Misty snicker at both the sound and her friend's annoyance. His attempt at cooking from last night left him to go to bed hungry, too lazy to actually go out and pick up some food, or at least ask the girls to lend him something edible. Never had mashed potatoes tasted so heavenly; he had to do something about his horrendous cooking skills, or else he would run out of money and starve quicker than he had already anticipated.

Brock sipped his coke through his straw slowly, eyes fixed on something behind Ash; he followed his gaze, turning around to see Paul, as he said his name was, sitting alone at a table busying himself with his phone.

"That kid over there glared a little at the back of your head when he sat down." Brock said, tone slightly amused, but also possessing a protective edge under it. "Making new friends already?" 

Ash shrugged, swallowing his potatoes before talking again, much to May's delight. "I don't know what's with the guy." He said. "I've done nothing to him, he just decided he didn't like me." Him and the rest of the campus. Misty rolled her eyes, throwing a dirty look at the loner herself. He didn't seem to notice the attention he was given, eyes still glued to the screen of his phone. 

"Forget about him," she said, poking her fries with the plastic fork and smearing the ketchup all over them. 

"No, actually, you know what? I've done nothing wrong." Ash put down his own fork and wiped his fingers on his jeans; Brock was already starting to look worried. Ash had, over the years, built a reputation of being completely oblivious to signals other people were sending and not knowing exactly when to shut up or let go, thus getting himself into trouble. Trouble which Brock had taken to solving for him, most of the time; Ash had grown a lot since they first met in highschool, but he still couldn't do without someone watching his back. 

"Imma go talk to him, see what's wrong with him." Misty started warning him, but he didn't let her finish; Ash had already left their table, making a beeline for the other young man who was dead to the world around him, completely glued to his phone. 

"Well, second day here and he's already getting into trouble." May shook her head, stabbing her salad while glancing at her own phone from time to time, waiting the text back from Drew. "Must be a new record." 

"Nah, he almost got decked in the face first day in highschool, remember?" Misty laughed, pointing at Brock with her fork; the older man smiled, watching the two closely, ready to intervene if needed.

Ash approached the table where the other boy was idly picking up a fry or two and chewing them while never taking his eyes off his phone. He didn't seem to be texting, so what exactly was he looking at?

"Hey!" No answer. Ash cleared his throat. "Paul, isn't it?" At the mention of his name, Paul raised his head, brushing weird colored locks out of his face. He scowled at Ash, visibly annoyed that he was being interrupted from whatever it was that he had been doing; Ash's posture didn't falter under the venomous glare. He's had his fair share of them in highschool, he'd survive one more. He couldn't help but notice the dark, almost black hue of the other's irises; such angry eyes. 

"I think we got off to a bad start here," he began, sitting across from him at the table. He saw Paul's eyes flicker to something over his left shoulder, and he could only guess it was Brock watching them. He crossed his arms in front of his chest, setting his phone on the table looking suddenly interested. That buffoon had a bodyguard. The bashing smirk on his face baffled Ash a bit; Paul could almost see the gears turning in his head, looking for something to say that wouldn't make the whole situation worse than it already was.

"Did we?" He looked at him with narrowed eyes, then back at Brock behind him.

"I'm not threatening you or something," Ash said quickly; Paul's smirk widened, leaning back into his chair and picking up his phone again. Too bad. He could do with a challenge; the wimpy kid in front of him was no match, but the black young man looked like he could put up a fight. "I didn't mean to offend you, or whatever I've done. I was just thinking maybe we could all be friends." He ended that sentence with a ridiculously bright and wide smile. Paul unlocked his phone with a swipe and started scrolling through.

"Fuck off."

Ash gaped at him, taken aback.

"Hey, hey, I spoke nicely to you, that wasn't necessary." Paul ignored him, feeling Ash's anger growing quickly. Hot headed moron. "You should really work on your attitude." He looked up from his phone, Ash's impossibly irritating visage glaring back at him. Who the hell was that guy, so brazenly coming up to someone he didn't know and criticize them? Who did he think he was?

"Why are you still here?" Ash's face was red by now; behind him, Brock was starting to get up, sensing the tense air around the two. Ash could feel that too, and as much as he wanted to see Brock put the brat in his place, he wasn't worth making a fuss in the middle of the cantina on his second day at the university. He stood, throwing one last glare in Paul's direction.

"Fine, suit yourself." 

* * *

'What an asshole!' had been running through his mind the remainder of the day, up until he walked out the main gates with Brock and Misty, who were already going through their options for going out for the weekend.

"It's only Tuesday, chill." He shouted, amused, running ahead of them to hop onto the platform; he was, however, equally as excited as them to get out of his apartment and meet some new people, ones who don't sneer at him and treat him like shit. 

"I heard people talking about some party this Saturday," Brock said, stretching his back and wincing at the tension in his shoulders. 

"What, party already?" Misty laughed, joining Ash on the platform. 

"I feel compelled to introduce you to the lifestyle, honestly." Brock winked at both of them, making Ash's grin spread from ear to ear. That's the spirit; some actual fun, finally. And Paul didn't strike him as the type to go to a party, so at least he wouldn't have to see his more than unpleasant face there. Ugh, why was he still thinking about him? He was not worth his attention at all. 

"Saturday it is." 

* * *

 Saturday came by quicker than Ash had expected, with no other 'asshole incident', as Misty had so gracefully put it, ruining his week. He had occasionally seen his colleague outside, leaning against the wall of the building and smoking a cigarette by himself, but he refrained himself from trying to make another conversation with him. The other left him alone as well, not even sparing him a single glance, the whole incident in the cantina seemingly forgotten. 

He spent almost twenty minutes in front of the mirror, tugging at his collar to straighten it up; his efforts were futile and he was forced to change out of his white shirt into a fiery red one, that didn't do much justice to his tanned skin. He frowned at his own reflection, running his hand through his rebellious hair repeatedly. 

He met up with Misty downstairs, who smiled at him and looked at him like she expected something, but he missed it. He didn't spare a second glance at her perfectly combed hair and the cute outfit she had borrowed from May, trying her best to look presentable. She didn't know what she expected, Ash had always been absolutely clueless when it came to that stuff. She sighed, disappointed, while listening to him chatter about all sorts of nonsense. She had no idea when she started to care about whether Ash noticed things about her or not, but it was suddenly there and sometimes she almost caught herself thinking that she might have a crush on him, but laughed it off each time that happened. He was a friend, and he wouldn't think of her that way. 

Brock led them to the location of the party, a place not far from the university campus. Loud was the first word that came to Ash's mind when they arrived, Brock walking in front of them and greeting people he didn't know left and right. He made a face at the stuffy atmosphere, loosening the collar of his shirt while looking around; he didn't see anybody he knew, all the faces around him were unfamiliar and he was starting to get uncharacteristically shy and anxious. 

"How come May didn't want to come?" He turned towards Misty, shouting to make himself heard over the music. 

"She's with Drew." Misty shouted back, waving his hand in dismissal; May and Drew's relationship wasn't going too well, and they were making some serious efforts to save it, with very little visible results. They've been together for years, and when it started Ash had admitted to being just a little bit jealous of them and how happy they seemed to be, but after a while the relationship stalled.

He opened his mouth to ask Misty if she wanted a drink, but something he saw out of the corner of his eye killed his words and left him with his mouth agape, much to Misty's amusement. In the corner not far away from them, Paul was talking to a breathtakingly beautiful, statuesque blonde. 

"You trying to catch flies with that?" Brock's amused tone startled him, coming from somewhere to his right. He handed him a cup with some unknown alcoholic beverage that emanated a smell strong enough to make you dizzy, and Ash took a bigger than he intended sip, eyes still trained on the odd pair.

"Did you see that?" He asked, voice unusually high pitched, wiping the liquid off his chin.

"I know her, she's in my year." Brock said, sipping from his own cup, oblivious to Ash's irritation. "Name's Cynthia, I asked her out a few times and she turned me down everytime." He shrugged in a 'her loss' manner, swirling the contents of the cup around. "She's dating some football player now."

"Oh, so she's not with the punk?" 

Brock laughed. "She's not with the punk, I don't know what's up with him. Listen, let it go. You don't know who this guy is involved with and you could get into some real trouble."

Ash sighed, sparing one last dirty glance in their direction; it was some sort of envy he was feeling towards the whole situation, but he didn't know exactly towards who it was directed. Towards him for talking to such a beautiful girl who would most likely not even look his way, or towards her because he was actually talking to her, and he wouldn't talk to him. 

He shook his head, taking another sip of the unidentified liquid, feeling it sink into his stomach like lead. Brock was right. This was ridiculous. 

He threw the cup in the direction of a trash can, missing it completely, before walking away to find Misty, who had disappeared in the crowd. 


	3. Chapter 3

Finding Misty was proving to be a lot harder than he expected; apologizing left and right for bumping into people and probably spilling a few drinks, he didn't stop to check, he found himself sitting next to a staircase which most likely led towards at least two bedrooms, by the looks of it. Brock had also disappeared from his sight again, and so did Paul and the blonde chick, Cynthia, as Brock called her. The first step of the stairs was occupied by a blonde kid with caramel eyes and a dopey smile on his face; his liquid gaze slid over Ash's body, making him frown, suddenly uncomfortable. The blond squeezed the red cup with two fingers, tilting it dangerously close to spilling.

"Do you mind?" He yelled over the music, motioning towards to boy to move aside; he stood up, staggering alarmingly. Ash took a step back, afraid he might fall on top of him and crush him. 

"Heeeey!" He slurred, wide smile blinding Ash; he seemed completely disconnected, oblivious and overly excited. "Name's Barry." It was an accomplishment he even remembered it, Ash thought. Barry slapped a hand on his shoulder, startling him and bringing him closer.

"Are you looking to buy?" He leaned forward and whispered in Ash's ear, pointing upstairs with the cup he was holding too tight. His eyes were a beautiful color and glistened in the dim light, glossed over. He had more than just alcohol in his system. His hand now gripped the front of Ash's shirt, looking to steady himself.

"Buy what?" He asked, receiving a dumb laugh and a several pats on his chest in return. Barry shook his head as lightly as his state allowed him to without getting sick and sat back down on the stairs, not acknowledging Ash anymore. Was he some kind of bouncer, supposed to guard something that was happening upstairs? That was unlikely, considering a single push from the weakest person in the room would bring him tumbling down to the floor. 

'Odd' He muttered, distancing him from the blond, who started singing along to the song blasting from the speakers. 

* * *

 

He didn't see Paul for almost a week after the party; he tried to not let it occupy too much of his mind, but somewhere in the back of it he was wondering why the other boy was skipping so many lectures. Call it pure curiosity, of course. 

Misty waved a small hand in front of him; he hadn't been paying attention to a word that she was saying, staring off into the distance while toying absentminded with the pasta in his plastic plate. The cantina was half empty and too cold for that time of year; he frowned, focusing his eyes on the readhead in front of him. 

"Are you with me?" She said half amused, setting her fork down. He nodded while she rolled her eyes. "I was asking if I could borrow your notes from that lecture I missed yesterday." She undid her ponytail, letting her hair fall on her shoulders in golden waves. Had it always been this pretty, or was he only seeing it now? The glimmer caught his eye; mesmerizing. 

"You're unbelievable." She sighed when he didn't answer, picking up her own plastic plate and throwing it in the trash. "Hurry, we'll be late." He looked at his half finished meal; he appeared to have lost his appetite, which was unusual for him. He brushed it off, standing up to follow Misty, but a glance to his left made him stop in his tracks. A mass of blond hair caught his eye; it was the boy from the party. He didn't even know he went to the same university as him, he hadn't seem him before until now. He was chatting with a couple of other people while sipping on his soda and gesticulating wildly with his other hand. 

"What is it?" Misty questioned him, following his gaze; Ash quickly looked away. He hadn't told her, or anyone for that matter, about the encounter, and he didn't feel like explaining now.

"Nothing. I thought I knew him. Let's go." 

* * *

 

The zipper of his bag was stuck; Ash groaned, pulling in vain at the metallic machine. He stopped in the middle of the hallway, wedging the bag between his knees, fully aware that he was blocking the way. He cursed through his teeth when someone slapped his shoulder vigorously.

"You look familiar." He turned around to nearly slam into a boy with caramel eyes. His bag fell with a loud bang on the tiled floor, spilling a few loose sheets of paper. 

"I'm surprised you remember." He said cynically, watching his face widen into a smile. Actually, he was surprised the blond young man even approached him; their conversation had been brief, and it mainly consisted of him trying to decipher his slur. 

He helped him gather his stuff off the floor, never losing the inviting smile. Ash mumbled a small thank you.

The kid; Ash was aware that he was probably older than him, but his behaviour was too carefree, exuding childishness; seemed to have a problem with understanding the need for personal space even when sober. He slapped his palm into Ash's chest, giggling uncontrollably.

"Riiight," he drawled, "Harley's party. You know, I wasn't even sure where I knew you from. No problem, by the way." He pushed himself off Ash, who tried to straighten the front of his shirt, eyes never leaving the blond's serene face. 

"I honestly don't know this Harley," he said. "I was there with a friend." The boy waved his hand in dismissal.

"It's cool. I'm Barry by the way." His grin reached epic proportions. "I don't remember if I introduced myself or not."

"Ash," he shook his warm hand, not entirely sure wether he liked the man or not. He was odd, but not in a bad way, almost too enthusiastic, to the point of becoming tiring, but fun nonetheless. 

"Oh, he finally decides to show up!" Barry exclaimed, looking at somebody over Ash's shoulder. Paul was glaring at them from near the exit, before turning to leave the building. Has he been there the whole time?

"You know him?" Ash questioned, suddenly interested in what the blond was saying.

"Who, Paul?" Barry's smile widened ever further at the mention of Paul's name. "Yeah, he's my.. my friend, kinda, sorta.." Ash nodded slowly, confused. Barry was still running his mouth. "His brother, Reggie, is a football player, big shot, earns a lot of money. He's a nice guy, Reggie." He leaned closer to Ash. "Between you and me, Paul's a bit of an asshole, but getting on his good side pays off." He winked, amused at the lost expression on Ash's face. He wanted to make Barry spill more, but the boy's phone went off.

"See you around, Ash." He left him in the middle of the hallway with his broken bag in one hand, more curious than ever.


	4. Chapter 4

"How did you not make the connection, you blockhead!" Misty hit him upside the head with her notes, throwing herself in the empty chair across from Ash, who rolled his eyes exasperated.

"The football player this Cynthia is dating is the other blockhead's brother." Ash had cracked, and couldn't keep all those things he had found out all for himself anymore, but now he was starting to regret it, as delightful as hearing Misty call him names was.

"Who are we gossiping about?" Brock suddenly appeared behind Ash, slapping a hand on the back of his neck, a gesture that made his mind fly to Barry almost instantly.

"No one." He pouted, filling his mouth with warm mashed potatoes to avoid further inquiries. They were slowly starting to become his favorite food. Misty was beaming at him and he resisted to urge to stick his tongue out at her like a child.

"Ash has a crush on the Paul guy." She drawled with a grin on her face, making Ash choke on a mouthful of potatoes, and Brock give him a half worried, half amused look.

"Easy," he laughed, tapping him on the back while he coughed furiously, face turning beet red with anger and embarrassment. His protest was cut off by another fit of coughing, making Misty laugh even harder.

"Didn't I tell you to let it go?" Brock sat down next to him as soon as the danger of Ash choking to death had passed, and they suddenly became serious. "I know you almost never listen to me, but.." Brock didn't finish his sentence, feeling Misty's eyes on him. Ash was oblivious, but she could tell Brock knew something he wasn't willing to share with the rest, especially Ash, perhaps for their own good. Ash didn't seem to notice Brock trailing off mid-sentence. Instead, he focused his rage on the girl.

"You're awfully giddy today." He accused, wiping his mouth on the corner of his napkin, watching Misty's face gain a lovely shade of pale pink.

"What, can't a girl just be happy?" Misty tried to defend herself, losing a little bit of the smug expression she had before; fortunately, May just arrived at their table, saving her from further interrogation.

"Listen, Ash," Brock's hand was squeezing his shoulder, which only happened when he was trying to get something serious past his thick skull. It rarely succeeded, but Ash admired the fact that Brock still tried. "When I said let it go, I meant it." He raised a hand when Ash opened his mouth to interrupt him, silencing him. "It could get ugly."

* * *

  
"It could get ugly? Seriously?" Misty sighed, throwing Brock a disappointed look. They got separated from Ash by the crowd and Misty finally got to voice her concerns. "You know you just made it worse, right? He's gonna get curious now." When Ash got curious, things never went well; Brock pursed his lips, fully aware now of his mistake. "What's so bad about that guy anyway?"

It was Brock's time to sigh; the middle of the hallway wasn't exactly the best place to gossip, anyone could've heard them talk. "It's not just him, it's.."

The sentence died; Ash shouldered his way to his two friends, grinning wide enough to make him look slightly demented. "Now, now, what are you gossiping about?"

Before she could answer, Misty was pushed from behind, nearly slamming her head into Ash's forehead, who ducked at the last moment. She whirled around to snap at the person, but her words died in her throat. The brunet man looked apologetic, rubbing at his shoulder where it connected with Misty's back. His angular face was handsome and he held a slight, arrogant smirk on his face.

"I'm so sorry!" He said, almost purring his words, blue eyes looking Misty up and down almost shamelessly. Ash appeared from behind the girl, crossing his arms in front of his chest. The nerve of that guy was unbelievable. Misty was his friend and he would not let some punk mess around with her.

"It's fine, no problem." Misty bit her lip.

"Yeah, you only just almost knocked my teeth out." Ash said venomously, but he got ignored completely. Brock sat back, watching amused.

"My name is Gary." His smile was blinding, directed at the redhead; an uncomfortable bubble of something Ash didn't recognize at first bloomed in his chest. 

"Hi! Misty," Way too enthusiastic, Ash might add. She brushed a lock of red hair behind her ear, fidgeting in her shoes.

"Maybe I'll see you around." Gary slung his backpack back on his shoulder.

"Yeah, maybe. Bye!" Ash interjected, flashing a smile bigger and much faker that the brunette's. He felt it burn at his throat, at his stomach, but he tried to swallow it down, tame it.

"What was that?" Misty turned towards him, arms crossed. He caught sight of Brock's face, still amused, but a bit toned down.

"Nothing." He deadpanned, knowing very well he was acting like a child. What was he even mad about? "I was trying to protect you."

"You're unbelievable." Misty's short laugh was angry, harsh. Ash could feel his own anger raise, unexplained.

"How exactly am I at fault here?" Misty shook her head in disbelief, throwing him a disappointed look that confused him even more.

"You don't get it, do you?" Her voice was shaky. Her voice was never shaky.

"How am I supposed to 'get it', if you won't tell me what I did wrong?" He was yelling, and only noticed when heads began to turn towards them. Misty's eyes lingered on him for a few seconds, before she turned and left, pushing people out of the way harshly.

"Go after her." Brock nudged him, but he was in no mood to be bossed around.

"You go, since you found it so funny." Brock shook his head, echoing Misty's gesture. His fists were clenched at his sides, feeling his stomach starting to sink.

"Whoa, take it easy, pal!" Out of nowhere, a mass of blonde hair popped up next to him.

"Not now, Barry." He snapped, watching Misty get further away from him, red hair masking her face; the sight filled his chest with lead, his throat burning dangerously. He had to get out of there.

"I'm sorry." Barry's hand was on his shoulder and his apology seemed sincere. "But there's no need to cause a scene here, now is it?" He was dragging him outside before he knew it. The cold air hit his face, calming his anger and replacing it with a feeling that he screwed up.

"She is your girlfriend, right?" Barry asked, letting himself fall on a bench just outside the main gates.

"No." That word remained stuck inside his brain for a long time afterwards. "Why'd you ask?"

Barry shrugged, smiling at him; it somehow made him feel slightly better. "Pure curiosity." He sighed, sitting down next to Barry; he watched him take deep breaths of fresh air out the corner of his eye. He seemed like someone with no care in world; a few months ago, so was he. He used to fight with Misty over the stupidest stuff, but this didn't feel like that type of anger. This one hurt in its own particular way and Ash hated it.

"If you're wondering why that happened, you were not paying enough attention." It sounded like he was berating him. Ash looked down at the tips of his dirty shoes; he wanted to steer the conversation away from Misty.

"I don't think you know the whole story." He said, but Barry just laughed.

"Do you?" Ash frowned, losing his patience. He stood up, stretching his back and wincing at the dull pain. He's been tense ever since he woke up that morning, as some sort of foreshadowing. He should have stayed in bed.

"I was trying to keep her away from that guy, he was acting rude." He said grumpily, crossing his arms in front of his chest as if to defend himself and his actions.

"That's not what I saw." Barry sing-songed, swinging his leg like a pendulum. He stood, sensing the shift in the other's mood.

"And why the hell," Ash turned towards him, suddenly irritated, "are you everywhere I go, by the way?" They were face to face now, and Ash realized something he had failed to see before: that Barry was a couple inches taller than him, and his shoulders' were broader. His face suddenly seemed less childish than he had originally perceived it.

Barry put his hands up in mock surrender. "You got me now." He laughed. "I've been following you around, kinda." His smile was becoming unnerving, his caramel eyes darkening with something malevolent. Ash's face was petrified, taken aback by the sudden confession.

"Do you even go at this school? How old are you?" Ash tried, unsuccessfully, to hide the panic that was starting to seep into his voice. Barry's facade was unexpected, like he didn't ever think that the man was capable of lying.

"They really should put better guards at the gate." He laughed, but his look suddenly became steely. Ash took a step back. "As for your second question, it really doesn't matter." He stretched his arms above his head, stifling a yawn. "Paul thinks you're being a bit too nosy." Barry relaxed his expression, watching Ash's change in a matter of seconds. "Now, now, I know how it sounds, but don't worry. He just asked that I keep an eye on you." Ash's face contorted into an ugly scowl, which amused the older man. Ash was still curious, he could see, albeit a little bit scared now, but still willing to butt in and get involved into other people's business. Paul was right, that kid was a pest.

"Stay away from me and my friends." He warned him, but Barry held his amused expression, definitely not impressed.

* * *

 

"What the hell kinda gang is this guy leading?" Ash was pacing through Brock's dorm room, glancing once in a while at the man sitting on the edge of his bed, looking worried.

"Told you to be careful." He sighed. "He's involved with some sort of a drug dealing network." Ash's eyes went wide, whipping around to search Brock's face for any sign that he's joking. He found none.

"How come you never mentioned that before?" He resumed his pacing, looking horrified. Barry had threatened him; only now was it starting to truly sink in.

"His brother is a year older than me, he dropped out to become a football player and apparently hit the jackpot. The punk is using his brother's money and connections to sell drugs at parties." Brock shrugged. "The whole Barry thing's new, I don't think I've seen him before." Ash shuddered involuntarily.

A sheepish knock on the door interrupted Brock; Misty was standing in the threshold, face losing a bit of its color when she saw Ash, standing dumbfounded in the middle of the room, after the discoveries he's just made.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, frowning, closing the door behind her a little harder than she intended. Her red hair was up in a tight bun that made her features look more harsh and square; Ash had almost forgotten she was mad at him.

"Why, am I not supposed to be here?" He avoided looking at her, not sure he was prepared to face whatever she wanted to throw at him.

"Fine, be a jerk. I don't care." Brock doubted that very much, but Ash said nothing. Misty still sat in the doorway, one foot in, looking conflicted. How could she tell him that she had no business being here? She didn't want to talk to Brock. She came because she heard his voice.

"Would you two cut it out already?" Brock said, sounding tired. "You're acting like children. Also, this is serious, Ash, you've got to be more careful from now on."

Misty frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Ash shrugged, nodding towards Brock.

"Go ahead, tell her."


End file.
